Apparatus for making lubrication fittings



Dec. 8, 1953 A. L. STALEY 2,662,152

APPARATUS FOR MAKING LUBRICATION FITTINGS Filed Aug. 18, 1948 4Sheets-Sheet 1 EN V E N12? (swim A. Q) w/ y Dec. 8, 1953 A. L. STALEYAPPARATUS FOR MAKING LUBRICATION FITTINGS 4 SheetsShee1i 2 Filed Aug.18, 1948 INVENTOR 40:27}?! ,Sfa/e Dec. 8, 1953 A. L. STALEY APPARATUSFOR MAKING LUBRICATION FITTINGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 18, 1948 NAN QN MN m wmm aw E I A u NC %N NW I Q RN 9N m N Nm mum NM 1 Whwm n NNHN Q ngvENTbR ALgHLJfS/Gy A. L. STALEY APPARATUS FOR MAKING LUBRICATIONFITTINGS Dec. 8, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 18, I948 INVENTORAusf/n LJfa/e latentecl Dec. 8 195?;

APPARATUS FOR MAKING LUBRICATION FITTINGS Austin L. Staley, Fox Chapel,Pa, assignor to Universal Lubricating Systems, Inc., Oakmont, Pa, a.corporation of Delaware Application August 18, 1948, Serial No. 44,881

5 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for making lubrication fittings. Ithas to do with apparatus for making lubrication fittings oi the typedisclosed in my copending application 'Serial No. 790,375, filedDecember 8, 1947, now abandoned and by the methods disclosed in myPatent No. 2,566,565 granted September 4, 1951.

I provide apparatus for making lubrication fittings whereby fittingshaving a body and a tip welded to the body may be fabricated at highspeed and at extremely low cost. The tips made by use of my apparatusare of superior quality.

I provide apparatus for making lubrication fittings comprising a workholder and a series of instrumentalities opposite which successively theWork holder is adapted to be positioned, the work holder being angularlymovable to present selected diiierently oriented portions of work heldby the work holder to be successively acted upon by saidinstrumentalities. Desirably I provide a rotatable member and the workholder is carried by that member and successively positioned oppositethe respective instrumentalities upon rotation of that member.

1' further provide apparatus for making lubrication fittings comprisinga work holder and a drill and a welder opposite which successively thework holder is adapted to be positioned, the work holder being angularlymovable to present selected differently oriented portions of work heldby the work holder to be successively drilled and welded by said drilland welder. I desirably employ a series of work holders which may becarried by a rotatable member, the respective work holders being adaptedto be positioned opposite a series of instrumentalities successivelyupon rotation of that member.

I also provide apparatus for making lubricaion fittings comprising awork holder and a drill and a welder opposite which successively thework holder adapted to be positioned to present a portion of alubrication fitting body held by the work holder to be successivelydrilled by the drill and acted upon by the welder, the welder includingan electrode for engagement with the 1 lubrication fitting bodies heldrespectively by the work holders to be acted on by the welder and a tipfeeder delivering a tip to each lubrication fitting body held by a workholder when in cooperative relationship with the welder, the welderhaving means for welding together each such assembled body and tip.

I Other details, objects and advantages of the nvention will becomeapparent as the followmg description of certain present preferred embodirnents thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain present preferredembodiments of the invention in which rigure l is a fragmentarydiagrammatic plan vlew of apparatus for making lubrication fittings;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View partly in vertical crosssection taken radially through the apparatus shown in Figure 1 andthrough one of the welders;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional View to enlargedscale through a work holder and drill head of the apparatus shown inFigure 1; v

Figure 4 is a fragmentary radial elevational View of one of the Workholders showing the mechanism for operating the clamp and showing themeans for electing a finished fitting from the work holder;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-secgional viev thrlough one ofthe tip holders for ppiying o a ubricati be welded thereto; on fitvmgbouy a up to Figure 6 is a control diagram showing controlmechanism forthe apparatus; and

Figure '7 is a diagram illustrating how a tip welded to a lubricationfitting body by the promotion welding method which '.i prefer to employ.

My apparatus comprises means for holdin a lubrication fitting body at adesired angle means for bringing a tip into contact with 7 body at adesired position on the body and means tor Joining the tip to the body.The joinin 1s prererably accomplished by welding and find that electricresistance welding is effective and efiicient; I prefer to employ theland of electric resistance welding known to those sin in the art asprojection welding. relative y shape the lubrication fitting body andtip so that the assembly of body and tip whe the body and tip are readyto be Welded together has minimum cross-sectional area at the zone oruncture between the body and tip. While the (ILL body and tip are beingwelded together I press them firmly into contact with each other. Thepassage of electric current through the thus as sembled and pressedtogether body and tip results in melting of metal at the zone ofjuncture between the body and the tip because the crosssectional area ofthe asembly is smallest at that zone, resulting in maximum resistance inthe electrical circuit and hence maximum tempera ture. The applicationof maximum temperature I at the zone of smallest cross-sectional arearesults in melting of metal at that zone while the remainder of theassembly remains unmelted. I'he tips are preferably hardened beforebeing welded to the fitting bodies. While the welding heat anneals theend of the tip which is welded to the fitting body it does not annealthe oppo site end of the tip which is the end to which the coupler isapplied when lubricant is injected through the fitting and that end ofthe tip remains in its hardened condition.

As above mentioned, during welding the lubrication fitting body and tipare pressed together. Since metal at the zone of juncture melts duringthe welding there is an appreciable movement together or consolidationof the body and tip during the small fraction of a second during whichthe metal at the zone of juncture is molten so that the final relativeposition of the welded together body and tip is somewhat different fromtheir relative position when assembled before the welding current hasbeen passed through them. The result is a zone of juncture between thebody and tip in the finished fitting which is of materially increasedcross section relatively to the cross section at the zone of junctureprior to welding and which forms a unitary lubrication fitting of greatstrength and ruggedness. Tests have shown that the joint between thebody and tip is so strong that it does not yield under tests of thefittings to destruction, the fittings being destroyed elsewhere than atthe joint between the body and tip. My process is extremely economical;I can make superior fittings at a fraction of the cost of makingfittings by methods heretofore employed. It has heretofore been theusual practice to thread the tips into the fitting bodies. This practicehas been recognised as dis advantageous from various standpoints, yet itis the practice which has been employed by the industry right up to thepresent invention. The making of fittings by threading the tip into thebody has the disadvantages that a relatively weak fitting is produced,the time required for manufacture is relatively great and the cost ofmaking g the fitting is relatively high. Fittings with threaded-in tipswhen subjected to tests such as the tests above referred to normallyyield at the threads between the tip and body. Moreover, fittings madeby threading the tip into the body are frequently defective due toimperfect threads in the tip, the body or both; this may lead to leakageor separation of the tip from the body when the fitting is used.

My method has especial utility and advantage in the making of fittingsof different angles. The fittings are applied to machinery of variouskinds, as, for example, automobiles, to deliver lubricant to bearings.Many fittings when so applied are accessible only from a particularangle to the axis of the fitting body. For such installations fittingsare employed which have the tip disposed at an angle to the axis of thefitting body. These are so-called angle fittings d which have the tipsdisposed at angles to the fitting bodies such as 30, 45, 60, etc.

I preferably arrange the instrumentalities employed in making thefittings so that they may be disposed at fixed stations to operate in auni form manner in the making of tips of different angles. For example,I may employ a drill for drilling a lubricant delivery passage in afitting body and a welder for welding a tip to the fitting body and Imay mount the fitting body in a work holder and move the work holderrelatively to the drill and welder, stopping it briefly at each stationfor performance of the operation carried out at that station. To providefor making fittings of different angles I may arrange the fitting bodyin the work holder at a selected one of a plurality of different angles,the angle at which the body is disposed in the work holder being, ofcourse, related to the angle of the fitting. Thus by adjustment of thework holder to hold fitting bodies at different angles I can without anyother change in the apparatus make a set or series of fittings with thetips disposed at different angles to the bodies thereof. The respectivefittings of the set or series are adapted for use where access tothefittings is from different angles as explained above. By my method Ieffect great economy of production. I can in a very short time make thenecessary adjustment for changing over from the manufacture of fittingsof one angle to the manufacture of fittings of another angle.

I find it advantageous to employ a plurality of work holders for holdingfitting bodies and to move the work holders successively to a drillingstation and a welding station; in this way I can manufacture fittingswith unprecedented speed and I can, if it should be desired to do so,make fittings of more than one angle at the same time. For example, theWork holders may be mounted on a rotary table and the drilling andwelding stations may be spaced about the periphery of the table.Conveniently the table may be mounted to rotate about a vertical axis sothat the path of the work holders is a circular path in a horizontalplane. Desirably the work holders are spaced apart a distance such thatwhen one work holder is disposed at the drilling station another workholder will be disposed at the welding station; thus a drilling and awelding operation may be performed on different fitting bodies at thesame time. The table is preferably rotated step by step, stopping toposition the respective work holders at the respective stations forperformance of the respective operations.

I can perform the operations so rapidly that I find it desirable toemploy more than one drilling station and more than one welding station.I advance the table between operations a dis tance equal to as manytimes the distance between work holders as there are sets of drills andwelders. If, for example, two drills and two welders are employed thetable is advanced twice the distance between work holders upon eachstep. Thus upon each angular advance or indexing of the table one workholder will pass the first drill to have its fitting body operated onsubse quently by the second drill and one work holder will pass thefirst welder to have its fitting body operated on subsequently by thesecond welder. It would be possible to position the two drills side byside to act on fitting bodies carried by successive work holders and tosimilarly position the welders but I find it desirable to arrange thedrills and welders alternately. carrying alternate work holders past thefirst drill and the first welder without having their fitting bodiesoperated on thereby so that those fitting bodies are operated on by thesecond drill and the second welder simultaneously with drilling andwelding operations being performed by the first drill and the firstwelder on other fitting bodies.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the table is designatedby reference numeral 2. It is of circular shape and is mounted in turnabout a vertical axis 3. There are mounted on the table adjacent theperiphery thereof a number of work holders designated generally byreference numeral 4. The work holders are preferably spaced apartequally around the complete periphery oi the table. In the embodimentshown in the drawings there are twenty-four work holders disposed aboutthe periphery of the table spaced apart at angles of Means are providedfor advancing the table step by step to bring each work holder intocooperative relationship first with a drill and there after with awelder. If there were only one drill and one welder the table wouldrotate or index only 15 between stops. However, in the embodiment shownthere are two drills and two welders so the table rotates between stops.

In Figure l the first drill is designated generally by reference numeral5, the first welder by reference numeral e, the second drill byreference numeral l and the second welder by reference numeral 8.Similarly the reference numerals d, l and 2 will be used to refer to thefirst drilling station, the first welding station, the second drillingstation and the second welding station respcctively.

The angular distance between the first drill and the first welder andbetween the second drill and the second welder is 60. Thus it will beseen that as the table advances 30 between operations the first welderwill act on the same fitting bodies as have been acted on by the firstdrill and the second welder will act on the same fitting bodies as havebeen acted on by the second drill. The angular distance between thefirst welder and the second drill is 45. Thus the fitting bodies whichhave been acted on by the first drill and the first welder will by-passthe second drill and the second welder, and the fitting bodies which areto be acted on by the second drill and the second welder will by-passthe first drill and, the first welder. Thus the provision of the twosets of drills and welders doubles the output of the machine relativelyto the output which could be effected with but one drill and one welder.Similarly the output would be further increased by increasin the numberof sets of drills and welders.

Half way between the first drill and the first welder is a clean-outstation 9 and half Way between the second drill and the second welder isa clean-out station ill. These clean-but stations are jets which blowair into the passages formed in the fitting bodies by the drills to blowout the chips and cuttings.

Viewing Figure 1, the table 2 turns clockwise during operation. Afterthe drilling and welding operations have been performed on the work car=ried by each work holder the finished tips are ejected at ejectingstations I and 12. The fittings are ejected by blasts of compressed airwhich operate at both of stations I I and 12 at the same time.

There is disposed about 225 of the periphery of the table stationary camis for operating the worlr holders as will now be described. Each 8 ofthe twenty-four worl: holders t comprises a supporting base I l boltedto the table 2 by bolts The respective supporting bases M hence are ineffect integral with the table and have no movement relative thereto.Each of tr e bases [4 has therein an upwardly open arcuate slot Ila intowhich fits a tongue ll integral with the body [8 of the work holder. Thebase it has an arcuate upwardly facing surface it beside the arcuateupwardly facing slot it and the body It has an arcuate lower surface 23adapted to seat against the surface l9 while the tongue I1 is disposedin the slot it. There are drilled through the base i l intersecting theslot It a series of bolt holes 3;! and the tongue ll of the body 53 alsohas therethrough a bolt hole '22 adapted in adjusted positions of thebody it relatively to the base It to be aligned with a desired bolt holeii. A. bolt 23 provided with a nut 2 is adapted to be passed through thethus aligned bolt holes 2| and 22 to hold the body it at a desired anglerelatively to the base i i. The bolt holes in the base may be disposedso as to hold the body at any desired angles to the base. Those anglesmay be selected at will and will ordinarily be such as to provide forthe welding of the tips to the lubrication fitting bodies at the anglesnecessary to produce angle fittings having the desired. angularrelationships between the bodies and tips thereof.

Ordinarily the body it of each work holder will be fixed at a particularangle during a run of the machine whereby to make fittings all of oneangle during that run. To lllake fittings of other angles the bolt 23 isremoved, the body is adjusted to the desired new angle relatively to thebase is and the bolt re-inserted and tightened. This change can beeffected in a very short time.

Each work holder body it has therein a bore 25 through which a stud 25.Each work holder also has a clamping jaw 2? which pivotally mounted onthe stud Thus the clamping jaw 21 of each work holder is adapted topartake of pivotal movement about the of the corresponding stud 2trelatively to the work holder body it. Each work holder body 58 has ad-J'acent its upper end bore receiving a compression coil spring and a pinit having a rounded end, the pin being adapted to bear against theclamping jaw it? to turn the clamping jaw in the clockwise directionabout the axis of the stud 25, viewing Figure 3. The spring 29 normallyurges the clamping jaw to open position.

The body It of wor holder and the corresponding clainping j 5 h vs theirupper ends work re g cavities 5-35 and respectively which may beccniplernentarily formed to hold the work. to be acted on. When work tobe acted on consists of lubrication fitting bodies the cavities and areshaped so that when a lubrication fitting body is positioned between thebody l8 of the work holder the clamping jaw 2'! at the elevation of thecavities and 32 d the jaw is moved to closed position the body will befirmly held by the work holder with. a desired portion exposed to beacted on by the drill and welder. The fitting bodie for win o theparticular form of shown in the draw ings is designed. have threadedbulbous heads. The heads may spherical or of other shape. Each of thework holders holds one of the fitting bodies so as to present itsbulbous head to be drilled and to have a tip applied and welded theretoas will be described.

The spring 29 normally maintains the clamp-Q ins jaw 2'5 of each of theworkholders 4 in open or inoperative position. Each of thework holderbodies 13 hasv at a level below the level of the; axis of the stud it abore 313 having at its inner. enda oounterbore a l. A piston 2-5.1"1-tsin. the bore 3:3 and has an extension 36 fitting in the, counterbore 35,and adapted to project; beyond the, end thereof. The bore 23 functionsas a cylin er. The piston 35 is sealed in the cylinder 33- by hanking 3?held in place on the piston by a nut. 38. threaded onto a stud 39forming part of the, ton and a washer 40. The cylinder 33 is adapted tobe closed and sealed by a, threaded plug M and. a gasket. 4 I

Communicating with the cylinder 33 behind; or to the left of the pistonviewing Figure, 3, port '33 leading to an internally threaded bore 42. Aconnection leading to a. source of fluid under pressure, s .chcompressed air, is adapted tobe threaded into the bore 42. Whencompressed air or another lllllzl under pr ssure is. admitted. throughbore 42 and. port it forces the. piston to the right,

ure. 3., and turns the clamping jaw 3. ill the counterclcckwisedirection about the o the stud 2.6 to move the clamping jaw to co coi-ve or clamping position relatively to a lubrication fitting body toheld by the work holder to acted on by one: of the drills and one of thewelders.

Fastened by one or bolts t t o the, undersuriaoe of the table 3.cooperation with each of the work holders t or each or" a number ofgroups of work 11- ders into which the work holders may be divided is anair valve to having, an air inlet at for compressed air, a compressedoutlet ill and valve plunger #8. When the plunger ii; forced to theight, viewing I i ure 4., air under pressure is at. tted: from the inlet4% to the outlet ll whence it. passes through a tube 49 to the bore d2of the work. holder or the bores 52 or" the work holders of a group ofwork holders with which that particular air valve 45 is associrefer toemploy one air valve 45 for each.

4, there being two tubes or branches fill fro .1 each such valve to therespective bores 622 of those two work holders. Thus each valve operatestwo workholderssimultaneously.

As the table 2 rotates about the axis 3. the

plungors it of the respective air valves 45 are, r

successively pressed inwar Ry held in by the stationary it so that theclamping; jaws ll of the work ho rs are by conipre ed air hold in operate posi ion to firmly clamp lubrication fitting" h to h drilled andwelded during 130.- sitioning of bodies to the respective drill anwelder which are to operate on them. When each air valve =yond the endof the statu ary cam 13 the o e turns in the clockwise rection, viewingFigure l, the plunger :28 thereof is released and is me ed outwardly orto the left, viewing Figure l, by a spring within the valve casing;which off of compressed a from the inlet it to the outlet all andrelieves air pressure in ti o tubes to, resulting in releas of theclamping jaws 27 of the two work holders. controlled by that valve. Thesprings is. open the jaws of those work holders, providing for ejectionof the finished lubrication fittings.

Tubes 56 extend "from the respective inlets 46 of the twelve air valvesl5 to an air inlet nianifold disposed with its intake in the 3 withtwelve branches connected respectively with the twelve air inlets 45 ofthe twelve air valves $55 by twelve tubes 50. The manifold turns withthe Til 8 table 2; about the axis; the joint at the intake of the;manifold being packed to prevent leakage during turning.

The. drills at the two drilling stations 5 and l may be. the, sarnev andthe welders at the two welding, stations 8 and 8 may be the same, sodescription of one, of each will suffice. The detailsv of the mechanismfor operating the drills and welders form no part of the presentinvention andhence are not shown.

Figure 3 shows all that. is necessary to disclosethe mounting andoperation of the drills. At. each, of the drilling stations 5 and Ithere is mounted a drill 5! with appropriate mechanism for turning it,as, for example, an electric motor (not shown) Each drill is guidedwithin a bushing 52 having a cup-shaped indentation 53 in its bottomsurface coaxial, with the drill 5i, the in dentation 53 being adaptedupon lowering of the. drill to seat on the bulbous or spherical portionor ball, of the lubrication fitting body held in the work holder :2which is positioned below the at the time the drill is lowered tooperate thereon. The bushing 52 is mounted a crosshead 5A through theopposite ends of, which support;- ing rods having nuts 55 on their lowerextremities. Normally the crosshead til rests on the nuts 55 and isresiliently pressed downwardly there- 51, one surngi each or" he rodebearing against any suitable portion of the apparatus (not shown).

When one of the work holders 4 is in position one of the drillingstations 5 and l the drill at that station, including all the mechanismshown in Figure 3 abovev the work holder, is lowered. The cup-shapedindentation 53 in the bottom surface of the bushing 52 seats on the ballof the lubrica ion fitting body held by the work holder. This arestsdownward movement of the crosshead. M. l 'owever, the drill 5icontinuesits downw-d movement. and of course continues its rota.- tion.Since the bushing is mounted in the cross.- head whose downward movementis arrested the drill passes down through the bushing. It.-

drills a lubricant delivery passage in the bulbous. end of thelubrication fitting body, being guided by the. bushing"v 52 which inturn is centered relatively to the body of the fitting by seating ofthey cup-shaped indentation 53 on the. bulbous portion of thelubrication fitting body.

As soon as the lubricant delivery passage has been drilled the drill iswithdrawn upwardly, the bushing 52 pressing downwardly on thelubrication fitting body during upward withdrawal of the drill from thedrilled therein. After the drill has been completely withdrawn from, thelubrication fitting body the nuts 56. engage the undersurface of thecrosshead 5. 3 and draw the crosshead upwardly to disengage thelubrication fitting body held by the work holder. Thereupon the table 2rotates or indexes in the clockwise direction, viewing, Figure 1,through an angle of 30 whereupon it stops to position at each stationthe second work holder following the. work holder just previouslypositioned thereat. In this way, as explained above, the lubricationfitting bodies. in all of the work holders are operated upon, alternateones at one set of operation stations and the other alternate ones atthe other set of operating stations.

At each stop of the table 2 a work holder carrying a drilled lubricationfitting body is positioned at each of the clean out stations 9 and [0.At each of those stations a compressed air nozzle, is positioned whichblows compressed air downwardly into the lubricant delivery passagewhich ha just been drilled into the lubricant fitting body to expel thecuttings and chips. The cuttings and chips may be expelled through thethreaded shank of the fitting body if there is no ball check valve inthe body at the time; but normally the lubrication fitting bodies willhave been provided with ball check valves and springs prior to theirbeing operated upon by the mechanism disclosed in this application.Under those circumstances the cuttings and chips will be expelledupwardly from the just drilled lubricant delivery passage.

The lubrication fitting bodies prior to being acted upon by theapparatus disclosed in this application are each preferably drilledaxially from one end to provide a passage ending within the bulbousportion, and the lubricant delivery passages drilled by the apparatusdisclosed in this application intersect the first mentioned passageswithin. the bulbous portions of the fitting bodies.

At each of the welding stations 6 and 8 there is a welder having anupper head or tip holder as shown in Figure 5. Th upper head isdesignated generally by reference numeral 58 and comprises a body 53 anda clamping jaw 66. The body and clamping jaw have complementary recesses6i and 62 respectively adapted to cooperate when the clamping jaw is inoperative position relatively to the body 59 to hold a tip to be appliedand welded to the drilled lubrication fitting body. In Figure one formof tip is shown to greatly enlarged scale, the tip being designatedgenerally by reference numeral 53 and comprising a central portion 64and identical tapered end portions 55. The tip has a lubricant deliverypassage drilled axially completely therethrough from end to end. The tipis longitudinally symmetrical so that it is immaterial which end isdisposed against the lubrication fitting body. Th recesses SI and G2 areshaped to clamp one of the tips 63 with either end upwardly since theends of each tip are identical. The recesses engage the upper end of thetip, the lower end projecting downwardly from the upper head 58.

The body 59 of the upper head 53 is drilled at 65 to slidably receive abolt til whos threaded end 68 is screwed onto the clamping jaw (it. Ahollow extension member 59 is threaded into the body 59 at it and issealed thereto by a gasket 1 l. The member Ed has a bore 72 slidablyreceiving the bolt 51. The member L 9 has a cylinder 73 formedinternally thereof and a piston 14 fits within the cylinder and isfastened to the bolt 6?. Packing '55 seals the piston in the cylinder.The piston and are maintained in place on. the bolt by nuts it and ii.The hollow extension. member is closed by a cap it! threaded thereto anda compression coil spring 79 bears between the cap it! and the piston M.A port communicates with the space withinthe cylinder 73 to the right ofthe piston M viewing Figured There is provided connection with eachupper head at a solenoid operated air valve st to which compressed airis delivered through an air inlet 32. iii to the port 83 in the cylinderl3. When the valve iii is opened compressed passes from the inlet :32through the valve and the conduit lid and the port lit to the cylinder53 to the right of f to a lubricant fitting body held in one of the workholders 4.

Tips are delivered to each head 53 one by one (one for each indexingmovement of the table 3). The tips are fed down a hopper tube 8 3 thediameter of which is only slightly greater than the maximum diameter ofthe tips so that the tips follow each other in single file through thehopper tube and when delivered from the bottom of the tube are properlyoriented. The bottom of the hopper tube is in the same horizontal planeas the bottom of an upper extension 8541 of a part 85 of the machinewhich has therein a guideway 86 for guiding for slidable reciprocationor oscillation a slide 81. The hopper tube 84 is mounted in theextension 85a and held in place therein by a set screw 85b.

Threaded into the machine part 85 at the right hand face thereof,viewing Figure 2, are rods 88 having reduced end portions 89. A bracket90 is disposed over the portions as of the rods 88 and against theshoulders of those rods between the portions 88 and 89 thereof. A sleeve9! bears against the bracket 5% and another bracket 92 bears against thesleeve 91. The portions 89 of the rods 88 also pass through the bracket92 and have nuts 93 applied to their ends for pressing the bracket 92against the sleeve SI and in turn pressing the sleeve 9i against thebracket 90. Threaded through the bracket 92 is a bolt 94 having a head95 serving as a stop member as will presently be described. A look nut 5maintains the bolt 94 in adjusted position relatively to the bracket 92.

Threaded into the slide ill is a rod 9'1. The

.rod 9'! is guided within a bushing 93 threaded into the bracket 90. Theend of the rod 97 is disposed in the sleeve 9! and carries a piston 99packed against the interior of the sleeve by packing till). Packing l0!seals the rod 91 where it passes through the bushing 9t. Gaskets Hi2 aredisposed between the ends of the sleeve 9! and the respective bracketsso and 92. Thus the sleeve BI is sealed and acts as a cylinder withinwhich the piston 99 operates. Compressed air inlets l 03 and HM areprovided at the opposite ends of the cylinder. When air is admittedthrough the inlet I 03 the piston 99 moves to the right carrying with itthe rod 91 and the slide 8?. When compressed air is admitted to thecylinder through the inlet IN the piston dd moves to the left carryingwith it the rod 9? and the slide 81.

The rod 91 is locked to the slide ill by a lock nut i 05. Threaded ontothe rod ii? is a stop menr her I lit maintained in desired adjustedposition by a lock nut Bill. The stop member left has a circumferentialflange 38 which extends about the lock nut I05. Movement of the slide 81to the left, viewing Figure 2, is limited when the stop member 106 enages the right-hand face of the machine part 35. Movement of the slide 781 to the right, viewing Figure'2, is limited when the end of the rod 97engages the stop 95. The

A conduit 83 extends from the valve piston 99 and packing i ii!) aremaintained in place I ii thereabove communicating with the bore Ht andintersecting the upper surface of the slide.

The bore Hil is internally threaded and a cylinder H2 is screwedthereinto. The cylinder 1 I2 is maintained in adjusted position in thebore Hi3 by a nut H3 threaded over the cylinder below the slide 8! andbiased against the under table .2 is indexing.

surface of the slide. The cylinder '.II.2 has a compressed air inlet Hat the bottom through which compressed air may be admitted for a purposeto be presently described.

A piston .I I5 operates in the cylinder H2. The a piston H5 has anextension 'I IE which passes upwardly through the counterbore .I.II. Theextension I I6 is guided withinabushing H1. The bushing I I! limitsupward movement of the piston II5 by engagement with the upper surfaceof the piston. The piston is designed so that when it is in its extremeupper position against the bushing .I H the upper surface of the exten-.sion H6 is approximately flush with the upper surface of the slide 81..A compression coil spring I I8 is disposed between thebushine .II'T:and'the cylinder .I I2 and normally .urges the piston 1H5 downwardly.The piston II5 ismoved upwardly by compressed air admitted to thecylinder I I2 below the piston through the inlet .I IA.

The purpose .of the slide 81 is .to deliver tips .53

one by one from the hopper tube 8-1 to the upper head .58. When theupperheadis in its lower position to cooperate with a work holder 4positioned therebelow theslide 18] is in its extreme retracted position,i. e., the position it occupies when the right-hand end of the rod 9'!is against the stop 55, viewingiFieure 2. The stop 95 is adjusted sothat when the right-hand end of the rod ill engages it the coun'terboreIIZI is coaxial the slide .31 approximately equal to the length orvertical dimension, viewing Figure 12, of one of the tips 63. Thus whenthe slide 8] is .in its retracted position with the counterbore I IIcoaxial with the hopper tube BA the piston T'II 5 is at the .bottom ofits stroke in the cylinder H2 and (the lowermost tip 63 in the hoppertube 84 drops down into the counterbore III and rests on the top of theextension H6. The upper surface of the tip when in the counterbore IIIis approximately flush with the uppersurface of the slideB'I.

Compressed air admitted to the cylinder SI throueh inlet Hi l drivingthe piston .99 to the left viewingFigure 2, until the stop member I66engages he right hand face of the machine part :25. At that time thecounterbore III .is

substantially coaxial with the tip holder in the upper head Thereuponcompressed .air is admitted to the cylinder I.I.2 through the inlet H4to push up the piston I I5 to eject the tip .63 from the ccunterbore .IIJI and disposed its upper end in the tip holder within the cavities .6!and .62. Thereupon the clamping jaw Bil is moved toward the left,viewing Figure 5., 'to clamp the tip in the tip holder. When the tip isso clamped its lower surface just clears the upper surface of the slide18?! and the slide returns to its retracted position to receive anothertip ,for the succeeding cycle. Retraction of the slide ,8!

is effected by admitting compresed air .into the cylinder Ell throughthe inlet I03.

While the tip feeding mechanism above described delivering a tip to thetip holder the When the slide 8'! has cleared the upper head 58 thathead moves downwardly, carrying with it the tip 63 which has orone-twentieth of :a second.

12 just been delivered thereto by the slide 81. The tiph'older carriesthe tip down into "contact with the lubrication fitting body held by thework holder 4 positioned at the welding station. The tip engages the.iitting body coaxially "with the lubricant delivery passage which hasbeendrilled into theiitting body at the-drilling station. The "taperedlower end 55 of the tip enters the upper end of the lubricant deliverypassage in the bulbous head of the fitting body. Referring to Figure '1,the bulbous head of the fitting body is designatedas 12a; and thelubricant delivery passage therein which has been drilled atthe-drilling "station is designated as MI. The passage IEI communicateswith longitudinal passage through the fittn body, above explained. Thepassage i2i is cylindrical while the tipend is tapered or irusto-conicalThe largest diameter of "the tapered tip end -ewhat greater than thediameter of the IZI. 0n the other hand the smallest diameter of thetapered tip end smaller than the diameter of the passage 12 I. Thus 1eend of the tip enters the passage I2! as shown in full lines in ure 7.The tip has substantially line contact with the fitting body where thetapered ti end engages the rnouth of the passage 21.

With the tapered tip 'end .65 inserted into the passage I Z-I own infull lines in i. with the tip pressed downwardly against the fittingbody the tip is welded to the The upper head 58 acts the upper weldingelectrode, current pawns; through it to complete the welding .circ Alower is; one 4'22 moved radially inwardly to end of "the fitting bodyduring welding so that ouripasses through the upper head or electrode59;, .he tip '63, the fitting'bod'y 5 n in ihg '2 and the electrode 122rentiis turned onmetal at of the passage I'ZI melts.

allows the to 'be pushed somerw into the 12:5 to about the .cated .oydotted 1in 11 Ft .re 7. '1

is only on for a few cycles, perhaps t to melt the metal :at the mouthof I2! which is ie zone of contact out being pressed downwardly, viewingFigure to enter the passage I2 I somewhat iart-her than originally. Whenthe veldmgz current circuit opened the melted metal solidifies and formsa strong continuous permanent weld between the fitting body and tipabove ez-zplained.

Upon completion of the weld the electrode I22 is withdrawn and the upperhead (it releases the tip and is retracted upwardly the table 2 indexesforward 30 for another .As has been explained above, all or? eta--'tions 15,, B, l, 8 9 and Ill are operative upon each dwell of the table2. Thus completed tips are in workholders 4 which simultaneously reachthe ejecting stations II and 12. As those work holders reach theejecting stations the plunger ill of the air valve controlling themrides off of the end of the cam 13 cutting off air to the cylinders 33of those two work holders, permitting the springs 29 to open them. Whenthe two work holders are open the finished tips are ejected from them byblasts of compressed air delivered through ejector tubes I24, one ateach of the ejecting stations II and I2. The finished fittings are blownradially outwardly into receptacles which catch them.

4 1 a cramped after the finished fittings have been ejected 'he table 2or :s to in steps or 3% in non, viewirr Figure 1. Before controllingeach oi wort;

comes to the front end of the 5 stationary it lubrication i'ittingbodies are positioned 1 l the work holders. This may be done inech, -sm.Then when each air valve opened by engagement of its plunger the iii thefitting bodies posit. two wcrl; holders controlled by that a valve areready for ng and welding as above explained.

ure In that iigure the two d hated respectively did and 5th, 'ie two tiphold- U upper welding is do We spectively 550; and 5%, are two 2o slidesare t d rp-cti u. and s desire l respectively tips from the is and use.control n w l he does tion the demo" 4 n of a cy of the apparatus.

At the beginning of a cycle the table 2 is stationary with the workholders in the positions which they occupied during the operatingportion of the preceding cycle, the drills and tip holders are in theirupper or raised positions and the tip feeders or slides are in theirretracted positions. Since the drills and tip holders are up normallyopen switches I closed, being held closed thereby. Also normally closedswitches I25 are closed, current flowing from line terminal I21 throughthe two left-hand switches I225, viewing Figure 6, and the left-handswitch 425 to the solenoid I23 and thence to line terminal l29 tocomplete the circuit. Current flows from line terminal lad through thetwo righthand switches I25, viewing Figure 6, and the right-hand switch!26 to the solenoid l3! and thence to line terminal I32 to complete thecircuit. The solenoids EZG and I 3| operate air control valves E33 andI34 respectively to admit air under pressure to the right-hand ends ofthe cylinders for operating the tip feeders 81a and Bib, resulting inmovement or" the tip feeders to the left. As the two tip feedersapproach their extreme left-hand positions in which tips are disposeddirectly below the tip holders 58a and 53b switches 535 are closedthereby. This causes current to flow from line terminal !36 through thetwo switches I and solenoid I3! to line terminal :38, energizing solnoid l3! to open air control valve 639 and deliver compressed air 1) toinlets I Ma and H473 to eject the tips from the feeders into therespective tip holders or upper heads 58d and 58b (2) to the clean-outstations 9 and Ill, (3) to the two ejector stations I! and I2 and (d) toan air cylinder its to actuate a plunger I4! to operate a table controlE42 which causes forward indexing of the table 2 one etc or through anangle of 30. lhe mechanism for moving the table does not constitute myinvention and any suitable mechanism for that purpose may be used. Themechanism will be such, as known in the art, that when the table hasindexed 30 to its new position it will stop and remain in that positionuntil the table control I42 has been released and again operated.

Admission of fluid to the inlets ll la and H46 terminal i56.

ejects the tips from the tip feeders 81a and 81b into the tip holders58a and 581) respectively. Each of the tips when thus pushed up into thecorresponding tip holder closes a switch I43. The closing of each of theswitches I43 results in the passage of current from a line terminal I44(see Figure 5) to a line M5. From each line I45 current passes (1) to asolenoid ass and (2) to a solenoid I41. Each of the solenoids I46 opensa valve I48 to admit compressed air to an air cylinder I49 to operate aplunger I50 to open one of the two normally closed valves E26. Each ofthe solenoids I4? is energized to open one of the air valves 8| (seeFigure 5) to admit air under pressure to the corresponding cylinder isto the right of the corresponding piston l4, viewing Figure 5, to clampthe tip in place in the tip holder.

Opening of the switches I26 results in de-energizing of solenoids E23and IN whereupon springs |5I and I52 respectively operate air controlvalves I33 and I34 to admit air under pressure to the left-hand ends ofthe respective cylinders which operate the tip feeders, resulting inretraction of the tip feeders to their right-hand positions. Upon eachtip feeder reaching its right-hand position a tip drops by gravity fromthe corresponding hopper tube into the corre sponding counterbore II Ias above described. As the respective tip feeders approach their extremeright-hand positions they close switches s resulting in current flowingfrom line terminal 55% through the two closed switches I53 and throughthe closed switch I54 to the solenoid E55 and line The switch IE4 isclosed when the table 2 after having indexed in response to the tablecontrol I42 reaches its new operative or dwell position. The tablecarries twelve pins ilil equally spaced peripherally thereof, and uponreaching each dwell position one of those pins closes the switch I5 5.While the table is moving intermediate its dwell positions the switchIE5 is open, preventing energizing of the solenoid 255. Thus in order toenergize solenoid I 55 it is necessary for both of the tip feeders to bein their retracted positions and for the table 2 to have reached itsdwell position for the succeeding operative portion of the cycle.

Energization of the solenoid I55 operates an air valve 58 to admitcompressed air to the upper ends of air cylinders ids. The air cylindersI59 are connected with the respective drills 5 la and 5 lb throughmechanism shown diagrammatically at I60. Admission of air under pressureto the upper ends of air cylinders tilt! causes downward movement of thedrills dict and Eli). It is to be understood that the two drills arerotating continuously during operation of the apparatus.

Opening of air valve I58 also causes delivery of compressed air to aircylinders Iii! to operate plungers 562 to close switches E53 to delivercurrent to the tip holders or upper welding heads 58a and 58?). Thesemay be standard commercial devices and do not per se constitute myinvention. Upon delivery of current to each such device the tip holdermoves downwardly and presses the tip held thereby against thelubrication fitting body held by the work holder at the welding station,welding current passes through the parts to be welded together, theparts are pressed and held together during application of weldingcurrent and after the welding current has been shut off to insure aperfect weld and the tip holders or upper welding heads are raised totheir upper l5 positions (the positions which they occupied at thebeginning of. the cycle) As the drills 2 move downwardly in thelubritliey lubrlcar e1 cation fitting bodies hold the work holders atthe drillin stati As each drill reaches the limit of downward in lent(i. e., when the lubricant delivery 3 .nge formed by the drillintersects the axial e in the fitting body) switcl'icz, it; are "in; inflow of current from through the two closed old H59. Energizeoperationof air con- 'i cor pressod air to the id to deliver mom t cos cylinderThis drills to their tip holders reach their switches i115 and the ionas they occupied .iippor nositio parts niing oi the cycle.

,ve shown a. described certain pres" d einoodln a. 1 n, 1. 16521 lbole/arc, Welder, 51ers bring them neratrvo relationship with nslubrication fitby the work holders 1', the welder includnt with thelubriwork bolder o relationship with holding tips to be ication fittingbodies, is holder relatively to the latter is in cooperativerelationsnin lrcld l y the tin holder a net the ubrication ,fitting bodyheld by WCl and means for on clectc through each such ody said electrodewhile against the body to weld the tip is be ti. lubrication fittings s,rorl holders, a Welder, 1.3 Work holders to bring them oonerativerelationship with it portions of lubrication fit- ;oe tively by the WOlkholders he welder, the welder having successively into the Welder to n Lto be acted on by a movable electrode advanceable .to engage eachposition to be acted upon by the Welder, a tip holder for holding ins tobe welded to the respective lubrication fitting bodies, means foradvancing the tip holder relatively to each work holder when the latteris in cooperative relationship with the welder to press a tip held by13118 tip holder against the lubrication fitting body held by the Workholder and means for passing an electric current through each suchassembled tip and body While the tip is being pressed against the bodyto Weld the tip to the body.

4. Apparatus for making lubrication fittings comp-rising a series ofwork holders, a Welder, means for moving the Work holders to bring themsuccessively into cooperative relationship with the welder to presentportions of lubrication fitting bodies held respectively by the workholders to be acted on by the Welder, each worl; holder being angularlymovable to present selected differently oriented portions or thelubrication fitting body held thereby to be acted on by the Welder, atip holder for holding tips to be welded to the respective lubricationfitting bodies, means for advancing the tip holder relatively to eachWork holder when the latter is in cooperative relationship with thewelder to press a tip held by the tip holder against the selectedportion of the lubrication fitting body held by the Work holder andmeans for passing an electric current through each such assembled tipand body While the tip is being pressed against the body to Weld the tipto the body.

Apparatus for making lubrication fittings cornering a s ries or wornholders, a welder, nae-ans for moving the work holders to bring themcoco ively into cooperative relatlo chip with the welder to presentportions of lubrication fitting held respectively by the Work holders tobe d on by the welder, a tip holder movable toward the lubricationfitting bony held by each Work holder when in cooperative relationshipwith the Welder to place a tip in position to be welded to that body andretractable therefrom intermediate welding operations, the Welder havingmeans for weldin together each such assembled body and tip, and a tipfeeder movable relatively to the tip holder delivering tips to the tipholder intermediate "Welding operations.

AUST N L. STALEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,792,051 Valentine Feb. 10,1931 1,997,694 Morick Apr. 16,1935 2,005,375 Jones et a1 June 18, 1935 2,006,459 Jones et .al a- July2, 1935 2,007,698 Tear v July .9, 193.5 2,028,225 Carson Jan. 21,19362,052,356 Long Aug. 25, 1936 2,078,694 Smith Apr. 27, 1937 2,154,243Langhans Apr. 11, 1939 2,269,658 George -2 Jan. 13,1942 2,302,878 Muhlet a1 Nov. 4, 194 2,338,002 Dec. 23,1943 2,370,828 Widrnont Mar. 6,19452,388,754 Martindell Nov. 13, 1945 2,390,596 Larsen Dec. 11, 19452,419,484 Danzinger Apr. 22, 1947

